For the last week, we've been asking our teams around the world what they would do to take better care of themselves and their teammates. How would they use $500 to take away some of the stress of the challenging circumstances they work in. In Uganda, they wanted everyone to feel appreciated. Each team member in each settlement where ARC works. What better way to do that than with a party. So, on Day 223 the teams organized a staff appreciation day in Bidi Bidi Refugee Settlement in the north, Kyangwali and Kyaka II settlements in the west, Nakivale and Oruchinga settlements in the south, and in the Kampala Office. At each site, our staff got the afternoon off to share a meal together and relax. Lead staff shared the things they appreciated about their teams, and individual team members were encouraged to share their appreciation with one another. "To be appreciated means someone is grateful for what we do each day," said Sonia from the Nakivale team. "Today was a … [Read more...] about A Little Appreciation

For the last week, we've been asking our team in Rwanda - who work in some very challenging circumstances - what would you do to make change with your team? If you had $500 to take better care of yourself and your teammates, what would you do? ARC's Kigali office is a connecting place. It's where our Country Director and Kigali team sit and support the rest of the ARC Rwanda teams. It's also where donors, colleagues from HQ and other partners come to connect and collaborate. Recently, ARC was asked by the Rwandan government to move our offices to a location that would allow for more convenient cooperation with the government officials who we work so closely with. In the move, the team gained a new meeting room for staff to brainstorm and welcome guests and colleagues. But on a tight budget and after all the expense of moving, the team had no way of furnishing the room or making it a welcoming, functional space. So with $500 they added chairs, stools and some work … [Read more...] about A New Space

The last several days we've been doing the doable with ARC's very own staff who work in some very challenging environments. We've asked them: if you had $500 to take better care of yourself or your teammates, what would you do? Today, on Day 221, we are with ARC's team in the city of Huye in Rwanda, located between two refugee camps where ARC works - Mugombwa and Kigeme. The Huye team decided that it was most important for them to stay in shape and boost their friendships with their colleagues. So, they purchased a group membership to the Huye Fitness Club. Once a week, they'll go to the club together - in matching tracksuits - to workout and take an aerobics class with Coach Bruno. "I think this will make a big difference in the health and happiness of the team," said Country Director Bernad Ojwang. They attended their introductory session, and they can't wait to get started with their regular weekly classes. But the day wasn't all about sweat. The team also wanted … [Read more...] about Eat Together, Workout Together

Building strong connections and relationships is so important for making progress and getting things done, and that's especially true for the work ARC does. Our team in Kigali knows that better than most. The Kigali team provides critical support to all ARC staff working throughout Rwanda, from Kiziba Refugee Camp in the West to Mahama Camp in the Southeast. Strong relationships are key to their work. So, when we asked the Kigali team 'what would you do with $500 to take better care of yourselves and your teammates, it was no surprise that their answer was all about relationships. The Kigali team decided to have a staff party - dinner at a new Indian restaurant they'd been wanting to try. Celestin Karangwa, ARC Kigali team member who welcomed everyone and got the party started, recalled "the aim of this gathering is just to relax and be happy. Let's take this opportunity to sit with each other, talk and build lasting friendships." There was no agenda, no program, no goal … [Read more...] about Enjoying Each Other

Today, we're visiting another place where ARC works in Rwanda, the newest refugee camp in the country - Mahama Refugee Camp. More than 50,000 Burundian refugees live in the camp where ARC provides health care and other services. When we asked our Mahama team - what would you do with $500 to take better care of yourselves and your fellow team members - they were excited. It was something they had actually been thinking about but didn't have the resources to make happen. Mahama Camp was setup in 2015 but is still considered an emergency situation. With a semi-arid climate, permanent hot weather and a very stressful context, staff need to decompress. And the Mahama team had hoped to do so together every Thursday at a sports facility. But they quickly learned the distance from Mahama to a sports facility was too long - they ended up spending all their time in transit and no time working out, playing sports together and destressing. So when they heard they might have $500 to … [Read more...] about A Little Gym

We are in Rwanda again, this time visiting the ARC team at Nyabiheke Refugee Camp in eastern Rwanda. We asked our teams - who do extremely challenging work with some of the world's most vulnerable people - what could you do with $500 to take better care of yourself and your team members. The team at Nyabiheke already had their idea. In fact, they've been doing it since 2013. Staff participate in what they call their Cadenya Association, giving just under $2 per month. So far, since the Cadenya began they've collected roughly $1,400. But that money doesn't sit in the association treasury. The Cadenya is meant to be a mini- safety net for Nyabiheke staff. "The Cadenya's main purpose is to provide mutual solidarity support in times of sadness or joy," said Dr. Jean-Nepo Hakizamungu, current President of the Cadenya Association. "At these times, the Cadenya hands a member 50,000 Rwandan Francs (or $60)" to help them through this difficult time or celebrate a joyous occasion. … [Read more...] about A Safety Net

Our teams around the world work in challenging environments. They work in places that are or have recently experienced violent conflict or in other places that are receiving refugees fleeing violence. The work is often challenging and very heavy. So, we asked our teams around the world to come up with some ideas - $500 or less - about how to better care for themselves and for their fellow team members. The team at Kiziba Refugee Camp (above) in Rwanda loves to get out and get active, but they often don't have the time or the place to go and play. So the team's idea was to get an annual subscription to a sports facility not too far from the camp. "This place has all kinds of sports where all the staff will meet once a month and do the sport of their choice," said team member Zuberi Ugirashebuja. "We hope it will make staff members become more sociable and forget for a moment their challenges at work." On their first visit to the Moriah Hill facility, the staff stretched … [Read more...] about Sports to Destress